The Greatest Journey

Miss Alice Stewart is a poor girl, recently fatherless with a mother and two younger siblings to take care when she finds a job in service as a maid with her aunt Mrs. Green. Soon the family she works for loses money and lets go of her, in need of w...

Chapter LXXX II

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

The next day the French lady had arrived and before the fitting began Edna came into my dressing room with flowers once again from Sir Holloway except this time he was downstairs in person.

"He is where?"

"Downstairs."

"Is it something the matter?" The French seamstress asked.

"Help me Edna, Lady Walker will be here any moment!" I feared for what she could conjure up once she knew he was onto me. "Hide him in the study, do not let Lady Walker now of his arrival."

"The study?"

"Yes go on ahead, keep him in the study, ask him to have tea for Lady Walker will arrive any minute now and she cannot see him in the drawing room."

"Lady Alice please I must measure you now," the seamstress insisted.

"Do not worry milady," Edna ran ahead of me down the stairs.

"Forgive me here I am, Edna was telling me they have a little problem downstairs so once you are done measuring me I shall need just a couple of minutes to decide the dinner menu."

"Yes once I am done measuring," she said.

Before going to face Sir Holloway I needed something kept in my drawer and managed to sneak it past by the seamstress and once I reached the study Edna was outside on the lookout.

"Edna come in with me and guard the door please," I asked her as she closed the door behind us and I met Sir Holloway on the farthest side of the door as possible for the conversation to not travel anywhere.

"Ah the busy, most requested lady of London," Sir Holloway got up.

"Sir Holloway please keep your voice down," I asked him approaching him with the box.

"Why the reserve Lady Alice?" I offered back the necklace box and he did not touch it.

"Please take this and never return here."

"Dear God what could I have possibly done to upset you so much milady?"

"Your flowers and your gifts are arising suspicions in my staff, they know Mr. Henry never did such things and you are making me look like the sort of woman my staff wishes I were for it would be easier for them to hate me then."

"Well I can only say Mr. Henry is a bigger fool than I thought him."

"Sir Holloway Lady Walker will be here shortly and she must not see you here..."

"Ah so your future mother in law frightens you, do tell why you are joining the Walker family? Is it true love?" He asked looking into my eyes.

"Yes, I love him and so did my grandfather."

"You are a little liar," he smiled and I did not see cause for amusement.

"I..."

"Do not bother it is clear you do not love him, so you are doing this as a family obligation?"